Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar today alleged that a section of people was misleading the prime minister and pushing the BNP toward fascism.
Speaking at a protest rally organised by the Dhaka North city unit of Jamaat in front of the Mohakhali Cholera Hospital (icddr,b), Porwar said implementation of the July Charter had become essential to safeguarding democracy.
The rally demanded the execution of the public mandate of the July uprising and the speedy trial of those responsible for killings during that period.
According to a press release, Porwar said the BNP, despite being one of the main beneficiaries of the uprising, had drifted away from its spirit. He alleged that although the party had pledged before the election to implement the charter, it was now distancing itself from that commitment.
He claimed the BNP and several other parties had signed the charter’s 84 reform proposals but were no longer committed to implementing them. Porwar argued that piecemeal amendments to laws would not suffice, calling instead for reforms to the constitution’s fundamental structure in line with the referendum mandate to prevent concentration of state power.
Criticising the BNP, Porwar alleged that efforts were underway to rehabilitate fascism under the banner of a “reformed Awami League” through legal amendments. He accused ruling authorities of abandoning the spirit of the July uprising by appointing party loyalists to the administration.
Referring to remarks by BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Porwar said, “I thank him for speaking the truth. Even after five months, no desired change has taken place.”
Responding to criticism of Jamaat, he said the party had never operated secretly and that the public would judge allegations regarding Jamaat and Shibir.
Presiding over the rally, Jamaat central executive council member and Dhaka North chief Mohammad Selim Uddin claimed that ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina had banned Jamaat out of political vengeance, but that the move had marked the beginning of the Awami League’s downfall.
Selim, also a candidate for Dhaka North City Corporation mayor, said Jamaat leaders and activists had remained politically active despite adversity over the past 17 years.
He urged members to prepare to protect the vote in upcoming local government elections “even at the cost of their lives.”
